Rakitic's Colchonero Flirtation: 'I Almost Joined Atleti!'
The red and white heart always beat close to Ivan Rakitic. The talented Croatian midfielder, currently enjoying a great stage at Hajduk Split under the direction of Gennaro Gattuso, revealed on ‘Tiempo de Juego’ of Cadena COPE that he was about to wear the Atlético de Madrid shirt on multiple occasions.
Since his days at Schalke 04, Atlético was already tracking him. The interest persisted during his time at Sevilla and even when he shone at FC Barcelona. Rakitic confessed that destiny meant that his arrival at the Metropolitano did not materialize, although it was very close.
“I was about to sign for Atlético de Madrid three or four times,” Rakitic declared, making clear the strong bond that existed between him and the club. On one occasion, the agreement was practically a done deal. Conversations were frequent throughout the years, even during his time at Barcelona.
However, when the opportunity arose to join the Catalan club, Rakitic opted for that path. “With Atlético, the agreement was almost closed,” the midfielder concluded, leaving Colchoneros fans imagining what could have been.
